Sunday Matinee: Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb

Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1964 black comedy Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb has been on Blu-ray before but it has just been released by Criterion in a newly restored 4K digital transfer. The movie has never looked or sounded better.

Made at the height of the Cold War Kubrick crafted a brilliant satire on what would happen if someone tried to drop the bomb.Deranged General Ripper (Sterling Hayden) has sealed off his army base and sent the go code to his fleet of bombers to go bomb Russia in the hopes of forcing the U.S. to follow suit and wipe out the Soviets.When news reaches the President of the United States (Peter Sellers) an emergency meeting is held in the War Room where the Russian Ambassador (Peter Bull) has been summoned, much to the chagrin of General Turgidson (George C. Scott), to let the Soviets aware of what has happened in an attempt to stop the worst from happening.

Peter Sellers has three roles as President, Dr. Strangelove and Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake which he plays each part to perfection. Slim Pickens is also excellent as Major Kong the one pilot who manages to evade everyone’s efforts to stop him from dropping the bomb. And George C. Scott is also excellent as the constant gum chewing General Turgidson who doesn’t trust the Russians.

This is a brilliant masterpiece of black comedy. Where else could hear dialogue like “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.” Definitely Kubrick at his best.